Chapman presents third annual Busan West Film Festival

March 5, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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A scene from "Enter the Dragon," Bruce Lee's final film. The action movie will screen at 2 p.m. March 10 during the third annual Busan West Film Festival at Chapman University. COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY AND ROGERS AND COWAN

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A scene from "A Tale of Two Sisters," directed by Kim Jee-woon, who will attend the third annual Busan West Film Festival at Chapman University. He will receive an Icon Award during the festival. COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

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Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Ray Owens in "The Last Stand." The film, directed by Kim Jee-won, will open the third annual Busan West Film Festival at Chapman University, March 8-10. Both director Kim and Schwarzenneger will attend the film and answer questions afterward. PHOTO BY MERRICK MORTON

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A scene from "Iron Monkey," a 1993 Hong Kong action film directed by Yuen Woo-Ping. The movie will screen at noon Sunday during the third annual Busan West Film Festival at Chapman University. COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY AND ROGERS AND COWAN

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A scene from "Beijing Flickers," a Chinese film directed by Zhang Yuan. The movie will screen at 11 a.m. Saturday during the third annual Busan West Film Festival at Chapman University. COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY AND ROGERS AND COWAN

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Bob Bassett, left, dean of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. On his right is Bong Joon-ho, director of the hit Korean movie, "The Host." Bong received a special Icon Award during a recent Busan West Film Festival at Chapman. COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

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Marion Knott Studios, home of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and the location of the third annual Busan West Film Festival, March 8-10. COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

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A scene from "Iron Monkey," a 1993 Hong Kong action movie directed by directed by Yuen Woo-Ping. The film will screen at noon Sunday during the third annual Busan West Film Festival at Chapman University. COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY AND ROGERS AND COWAN

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Chapman University President Jim Doti with then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 2004 groundbreaking ceremony for Marion Knott Studios. PHOTO: JEANINE HILL FOR CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

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Opening night with traditional Korean dancing during a previous Busan West Film Festival at Chapman University. COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

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Chapman University President Jim Doti and then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007. PHOTO: JEANINE HILL FOR CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

A scene from "Enter the Dragon," Bruce Lee's final film. The action movie will screen at 2 p.m. March 10 during the third annual Busan West Film Festival at Chapman University.COURTESY OF CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY AND ROGERS AND COWAN

One of Asia's top film festivals is serving as the inspiration once again for a similar gathering of cinephiles in Orange County.

The Busan West Film Festival makes its third appearance at Chapman University in Orange, Friday through Sunday. Students and professors from Chapman's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts have selected highlights from South Korea's Busan International Film Festival, Asia's largest film fest, and are screening 12 of them here.

Busan West has added some special features, such as an opening-night screening of the 2013 action film "The Last Stand," a Q&A discussion with its star, former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and an award presentation for the movie's director, Kim Jee-woon. Chapman alumnus Andy Knauer, who wrote the screenplay for "The Last Stand," will also attend.

"We want to explode the students' cultural bubble, to get them out of their own culture," said Bob Bassett, dean of the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. He helped found the Busan West film fest. "We had this idea – maybe we can create this partnership with the Busan Film Festival, since they are kind of the Cannes of Asia. They bring in films from all over Asia."

Bassett, with the help of Chapman Assistant Professor Nam Lee, collaborated with Lee Yong-kwan, director the Busan International Film Festival, to bring some of Asia's best and most popular films to the U.S. The movies will come from five countries, including China, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.

This year's lineup includes "Beijing Flickers," directed by China's Yuan Zhang (11 a.m. Saturday); "Bleak Night," directed by South Korean Yoon Sung-hyun (3 p.m. Saturday); "Enter the Dragon," a U.S./Hong Kong production starring Bruce Lee and directed by American Robert Clouse (2 p.m. Sunday); and "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," directed by South Korean Kim Jee-woon (8 p.m. Saturday).

"Dangerous Liaisons," a joint China, Korea and Singapore production directed by South Korean Jin-ho Hur, will close the festival at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

New this year is a competition of short films, mostly by Asian-American filmmakers. Twenty short films are scheduled to screen during the festival, and awards will be presented at the festival's closing night reception Sunday. The two winning films will be programmed into the 2013 Busan Film Festival in October.

"The concept of the whole festival is, we want to bring new Asian films here, films that would travel well to American audiences," said Lee, a Pan-Asian film expert who teaches film studies at Chapman and also serves as programmer for Busan West. "This year in particular we're focused on transnational connections between East and West."

The festival will also feature a martial-arts panel Sunday that will include renowned martial-arts writer/director Haofeng Xu ("The Grandmaster," "The Sword Identity").

Previous Busan West fests have attracted some of Korea's most accomplished filmmakers, including Bong Joon-ho ("The Host"), Park Chan-wook ("Oldboy" and "Stoker") and Lee Doo-yong ("Arirang").

This year, organizers have made a special effort to get members of the regional Korean community involved. They've invited the Korean Film Council in Los Angeles; the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles; and Mayor Steven Choi of Irvine.

Tickets are $10 per screening, free for Chapman students, $25 for the opening-night film and reception. For more information, call 714-997-6765 or visit busanwest.com.

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